The Circuit
'"The Circuit" '''is the seventeenth episode of ''New Frontier, the fifth season, and the ninty-fifth episode overall. It was told and narrated by Rhys, premiering on September 8, 2014. In the episode, Deeba chases after Marie through the thronging crowds of Main Street. Her efforts prove fruitless but she encounters her first meeting with Xerxes. The Episode Deeba had never ran faster. She hated running. In high school, her teachers urged her to try out for track, but eff track. But now, in this moment, with Marie only meters away, Deeba's legs were churning faster than Jesse Owens. Blake was behind her, smiling as if chasing a murderess was like running after the ice cream truck. Marie reached the curb. Deeba sped up. Marie turned around. Deeba was hurtling toward her. But then there was someone else. A man. This was it. Marie reached into her pocket. She knelt. Deeba tripped over the curb and faceplanted the cement. Blake couldn't stop himself from laughing. Deeba was up in seconds. She skimmed over the plaza. But among the thronging crowds, Marie had vanished. "What!" Blake cried. Deeba looked everywhere. She checked inside shops, under benches, around fat people. Gone. "What!" Blake repeated. "There!" Deeba said, pointing to a lamppost. Marie's sunglasses were at the base. They were wrapped in a red... "Oh my God!" Deeba cried. "What is it?" Blake asked. "It's grandma's hat!" "Elena's beanie? From the Cult of Gallifrey?" Deeba nodded eagerly. But her smile quickly faded and she dropped the hat. "Did she like poison it?" "Oh please," Blake said and picked up the hat. He turned it inside out. "Nope, nothing in here. Just Elena's embroidered name and that wheel thing." "Wheel thing?" Deeba asked, moving closer. Blake pointed to the hem of the hat. A small circle comprised of four sectors surrounding one purple circle was beautifully stitched. "I've seen that," Deeba said, "it's the symbol of the Cult of Gallifrey." "Why would Marie want it?" "Why would she give it back?" Deeba asked. "I think she dropped it." Deeba pulled the red letter out of her backpack. She showed Blake the seal. "Interesting," Blake said. Deeba examined the sunglasses. They were very expensive. "MGM," Deeba said. "Wizard of Oz," Blake responded. "What?" Deeba said. "Oh I thought we were doing a word association game." "Lovely time for games, Blake," Deeba said. She pointed at the side of the glasses. "Her initials. MGM. We should report this to the VMKDI." "Maybe later..." Blake said, eyes fixated toward Gallifrey Castle. "What is it?" Deeba said, joining his gaze. "I'm not sure," Blake said, "but the crowd is screaming." Horrified shouts erupted through the streets. Deeba squinted to see who was speaking, but she couldn't see. "Deeba!" Blake called. Marie was running on the opposite side of the street, toward Central Plaza. Deeba and Blake hurried after her. The crowds had grown thicker. It became harder to push through them. Marie disappeared ahead. Deeba slowed...but soon slammed into someone. "Good God, Deebz! Watch where you're going!" Blake said. He turned to apologize to the man, but doubled back. "Xerxes!" Blake said. "This is Xerxes?" Deeba asked, scanning the man. Xerxes blinked. He gestured to the Penny Arcade. Deeba and Blake nodded over the roar of the crowd. They followed Xerxes inside. Xerxes sat at one of the tables. Blake joined him, but Deeba was hesitant. Could he be trusted? "Deeba Gallifreyan," the man said, "Never thought I'd be sitting with you." "Did you know my great-grandmother?" Deeba asked. Xerxes paused. "Yes." "And you're the Xerxes she mentioned?" Deeba pressed. "I"m sorry?" "Her last word," Blake said, "was Xerxes. She wrote it on Operation Blele stationary." The man nodded as if that made sense. "She was a good woman." "Were you looking for us?" Blake asked. "In a way, yes." "I'm sorry," Deeba said, "Can we cut the bullshit? Who are you?" The man became very uncomfortable. "I'd rather not say." "Why?" Deeba cried, "What is there to fear?" "We have much to fear now," Xerxes said, "and it will only grow darker." "Creepy," Blake said. "What is your name? Is it really Xerxes?" Deeba asked. "It is not really Xerxes." "Then what are you doing? Trying to get a cheap thrill with the Gallifreyan descendent?" "Deeba Gallifreyan, you're clock is about to stop. I've waited for this moment for years. Not in pleasure, but in terror. From the moment Gallifrey Estate was torched, you have never been safe." "You're scaring me," Deeba said, standing up. "He's coming for you," Xerxes said, eyes wide. "Who is?" Blake asked. "Xerxes..." "I thought you were Xerxes!" Blake cried. "I'm sorry, but I had to talk to you..." "Who IS Xerxes?" Deeba nearly screamed. "I don't know!" the man yelled. "What is YOUR name?!" Blake shouted, kicking back his chair. The man paused. "It's Ren." "Last name," Deeba demanded. Ren's eyes skipped around the room. "Just Ren." "For Christ's sake," Blake moaned. Ren did not look up. He was probably only about 40 years old, but he seemed much older. He had heavy bags under his eyes. "Please," Ren whispered, "I can't say much; they're watching. But you have to listen. Please. I made a promise..." "To who?" Deeba said. "Oh so many people..." Ren said, "Mom, Dad." He paused. "Elena." "Elena?" Deeba said, raising her eyebrows, "How did you know my grandmother?" "My mother introduced me years ago. We've feared this for some time, though we never knew what it could have been." "You're making absolutely no sense," Deeba said, "You feared what?" Ren sighed. "I can't say much..." "You've already said that," Blake said. "It's true," Ren insisted, "but we've always been worried about potential collapse. We fear he may be involved." "Who is we?" Deeba asked. "Who is he?" Blake asked. "He is Xerxes," Ren said, eyes wide, "And I fear I know who he is." "Who?!" Deeba cried, "Who is he?" Ren broke down in tears. "My brother." Production Continuity and Story Arcs Xerxes from the theater turned out to be an enigmatic man who knows something about the cryptic message. He is related to someone who believes to be Xerxes. The events of this episode took place BEFORE the preceding episode. References Deeba was compared to being as fast as Jesse Owens. This was not as much a reference to the famous athlete as much as it was a reference to the famous line from Blazing Saddles. When Deeba says "MGM," Blake replies with "Wizard of Oz." These two are related because The Wizard of Oz was broadcasted by MGM, the theater company. Trivia *Blake's continuing cries of "What!" is a reference to the 10th Doctor. *Ren's name was improvised on the spot. It has no significance to his character. *The conversation in the Penny Arcade is extremely confusing and was written to be so. *The episode title was chosen because of the circuitous nature of the dialogue. Category:Episodes Category:New Frontier Episodes